It is provided an extruder for a system for the additive manufacture of freely formable metal parts with or without a supporting structure by means of an extrusion method from a composite material, which is arranged on a three-dimensionally movable kinematic mechanism, with a building platform. The extruder consists of a housing and a screw arranged in the housing. The extruder is provided with a mechanical drive for the composite material to be extruded, with an exchangeable nozzle, arranged on the housing, and the housing is connected to the mechanical drive by way of suitable means for transporting the composite material.

Provision module (2) for providing additive manufacturing powder, comprising a main hopper (29) for storing additive manufacturing powder, the main hopper (29) being designed to be connected to a manufacturing module (4) configured to additively manufacture an object from the powder located in the main hopper (29), an inlet (211) of the provision module (2), which inlet is designed to be connected to the manufacturing module (4) and to receive powder located in the manufacturing module (4), a glovebox (25) designed to receive a container (28), the glovebox (25) being able to be closed in a sealed manner, a supply circuit configured to transfer powder located in the glovebox (25) to the main hopper (29), an extraction circuit that is different from the supply circuit and is configured to transfer additive manufacturing powder from the inlet (211) of the provision module (2) to the container (28), when the container (28) is received in the glovebox (25), the glovebox (25) comprising gloves (251) for closing the container (28) once it has been filled with powder, while the glovebox (25) is closed.

A three-dimensional fabrication system includes a supply device that supplies a fabrication material to form a fabrication material layer, an application device that applies a binder to the fabrication material layer, and circuitry. The circuitry determines a fabrication control condition based on data of a shape of a three-dimensional object to be fabricated, to form the fabrication material layer having a biased distribution of a density of the fabrication material.

Raw material devices, systems that incorporate raw material delivery devices, and methods of supplying raw material using the raw material devices. A raw material delivery device includes a hollow body comprising a first end and a second end, the second end disposed above the first end in a system vertical direction, an inlet disposed at the first end of the hollow body, an outlet disposed at the second end of the hollow body, and a stepped passageway disposed within the hollow body between the inlet and the outlet. The stepped passageway is configured to deliver raw material via one or more steps from the inlet to the outlet.

A powder spreading apparatus includes a hopper having a first end, a second end opposite from the first end, a front wall, a rear wall opposite from the front wall, and a floor. The front wall, the rear wall, the first end, the second end, and the floor define an interior. An impeller is disposed within the interior of the hopper. The impeller includes a plurality of circumferentially spaced flutes and is configured to rotate about an impeller axis that extends from the first end of the hopper to the second end of the hopper to deposit powder onto a print area. A spreader rod is coupled to the hopper and extends along a spreader rod axis parallel to the impeller axis. The spreader rod is configured to rotate about the spreader rod axis to smooth the powder as it is deposited onto the print area.

A powder spreading apparatus includes a hopper having a first end, a second end opposite from the first end, a front wall, a rear wall opposite from the front wall, and a floor. The front wall, the rear wall, the first end, the second end, and the floor define an interior. An impeller is disposed within the interior of the hopper. The impeller includes a plurality of circumferentially spaced flutes and is configured to rotate about an impeller axis that extends from the first end of the hopper to the second end of the hopper to deposit powder onto a print area. A spreader rod is coupled to the hopper and extends along a spreader rod axis parallel to the impeller axis. The spreader rod is configured to rotate about the spreader rod axis to smooth the powder as it is deposited onto the print area.

The invention is directed to a powder supply system (1) for use in an apparatus (100) for producing a three-dimensional work piece by irradiating layers of a raw material powder (4) with electromagnetic or particle radiation. The powder supply system (1) comprises a circuit line (7) configured to conduct a gas stream (9), a conveying device (19) configured to convey the gas stream (9) through the circuit line (7), a powder doser (8) configured to introduce a desired dose of raw material powder (4) into the gas stream (9) flowing through the circuit line (7), a measuring unit (15) configured to measure at least one of a pressure and a volume flow in the circuit line (7) at a position downstream of the powder doser (8), and a control unit (40) configured to control the powder doser (8) based on at least one of a pressure value and a volume flow value measured by the measuring unit (15) in such a manner that the at least one of the pressure value and the volume flow value measured by the measuring unit (15) is within a predetermined range.

The invention is directed to a powder supply system (1) for use in an apparatus (100) for producing a three-dimensional work piece by irradiating layers of a raw material powder (4) with electromagnetic or particle radiation. The powder supply system (1) comprises a circuit line (7) configured to conduct a gas stream (9), a conveying device (19) configured to convey the gas stream (9) through the circuit line (7), a powder doser (8) configured to introduce a desired dose of raw material powder (4) into the gas stream (9) flowing through the circuit line (7), a measuring unit (15) configured to measure at least one of a pressure and a volume flow in the circuit line (7) at a position downstream of the powder doser (8), and a control unit (40) configured to control the powder doser (8) based on at least one of a pressure value and a volume flow value measured by the measuring unit (15) in such a manner that the at least one of the pressure value and the volume flow value measured by the measuring unit (15) is within a predetermined range.

In an aspect, a 3D printer is provided and includes a print head having an extruder motor positioned to feed a filament into a heater, a print head positioning system configured to move the print head relative to a print surface, a motor driver that is connected to the extruder motor and is operable to control the operation of the extruder motor, a sensor module that includes a feed rate sensor positioned to detect a rate of feed of the filament, and a control system that is programmed to: receive signals from the sensor module that are indicative of the feed rate of the filament, and control the operation of the motor driver based on the signals from the sensor module.

In an aspect, a 3D printer is provided and includes a print head having an extruder motor positioned to feed a filament into a heater, a print head positioning system configured to move the print head relative to a print surface, a motor driver that is connected to the extruder motor and is operable to control the operation of the extruder motor, a sensor module that includes a feed rate sensor positioned to detect a rate of feed of the filament, and a control system that is programmed to: receive signals from the sensor module that are indicative of the feed rate of the filament, and control the operation of the motor driver based on the signals from the sensor module.